We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Setra Sundahta a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Setra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My mother was not a great mother by the usual standard of measurement. She was hardly ever home, there was never any food at home for me and sometimes I even got locked out of the house if I didn’t make it home before my drunken step-father passed out in front of our front door. But she taught me something that isn’t taught in schools – the power of manifestation. Thanks to her, that’s my super power. When I was about to go on my first job interview, she told me to sit down, close my eyes, and visualize myself working in the space. The first interview I went on looked very much like what I had visualized, and I got the job!

My mother wasn’t able to manifest things for herself, but from my first experience with visualization and manifestation, combined with looking at her life, I realized that it wasn’t enough to just envision what I wanted to achieve, I had to also physically put in the work. Sometimes we can learn just as much, if not more, from observing what people do wrong.

Setra, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m what’s known as an autodidact. I hardly went to school and was sometimes homeless as a child and am mainly self taught. My mother was hardly ever around, so I pretty much raised myself, which led to my coloring outside of the box and definitely dancing to the beat of a different drum! I taught myself how to play guitar and keyboard when I realized that songwriting and singing were two of my talents and passions. Then I started doing open mics, busking in the New York City subway system and taking whatever singing gigs I could get. The next step was learning how to produce myself because when I tried working with producers, they always wanted to change my style so that I would “fit in.” I’d already gone my entire life up until that point not fitting in, so instead of knocking heads, I just visited studios, asked questions, watched lots and lots of YouTube videos and eventually set up my own home recording studio.

It was a long road but I focused on finding as much joy in every moment I could and continued to believe that I was answering the call that had been given to me at birth. I often had to make a choice (and still do sometimes) between hanging out with family and friends or pursuing my passion. Being an artist can sometimes be a lonely path, but those moments when everything comes together and people are touched in a positive way by my creations make it all worthwhile.

So, what do I do? I write songs about life. Mostly about my life but sometimes about life in general. When I first started writing songs, it seemed all my songs were unhappy love songs. I got tired of writing about and singing broken hearted love songs, so I forced myself to stretch outside of my default zone. I bought a composition notebook that I carried everywhere with me. There are prompts all around us. One day, as I was boarding a bus in New York City, I looked down at the floor. Written in bold white letters was: Please step behind the white line. It was a directive for people to not linger in the front of the bus after boarding. Okay, I told myself, write a song with that title. It turned out to be a song about cocaine.

Stand in line, don’t you wanna take a sniff
Of the little white line; better get out your handkerchief
And wipe real good, ’cause you don’t wanna leave a trace
Of the little white line; crusty evidence upon your face (excerpt from Step Behind the White Line)

The song is written. One day I’ll actually record it! lol! I still write love songs, but they’re not your typical I love you or why don’t you want me songs. I like writing songs that inspire introspection, because it’s inside ourselves where the love starts, then emanates outward from there.

I had so much fun doing that that when a friend called me and asked me to provide a service for a new website he was setting up to offer unusual experiences for people visiting New York, I decided to offer people a personalized song. I figured that would REALLY force me out of my comfort zone! Songs4Hire, I called it! I’m actually in the process of setting that up again here in Atlanta, providing birthday songs, engagement/marriage songs, I’m sorry songs, you name it, I can write it! lol! I also ask what kind of music the receiver likes and create the song in that style. When the song is almost done, I have the purchaser come in to the studio or record something and send me the mp3 or wav file so that I can incorporate their voice into the bridge or chorus of the song. I already have two children’s birthday songs and a congratulations on your new job song on the calendar, so I’ll be pretty busy for the next few weeks and I love every minute of it!

I’m also in the process of launching an organization that uplifts and supports women and teaches them how to take care of their bodies and their spirits. I’m still in the trademarking stage, so I can talk about it yet, but if you’re following me on Instagram, you’ll definitely start to see some posts about it soon!

I was doing scoring, sound editing and foley (sound effects), all of which I love. Unfortunately, things slowed down during the pandemic shutdown and the writer and actor strikes caused even more of a slowdown. Since I’m not one to sit still for long, I had to find other ways to make the world a more beautiful place! So I turned back to the songwriting and singing. It’s like rediscovering a favorite pair of slippers or a bike you thought you’d forgotten how to ride!

Still working on a memoir which hopefully I’ll have finished by year’s end. In the meantime, loving every moment of life and finding the silver lining in every cloud because it’s not just life; it’s an adventure!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I made the decision to not sign a recording contract with Columbia Records, I got on a plane and flew from New York City to San Francisco. This was before one could “google” someone and find out if they were legitimate or not. A man (we’ll call him Mr X) had reached out to me saying that he and his fiancee were blessed by God and wanted to help independent artists. “We love your music,” he said, “and we want to help you.” He asked if I could come to Northern California, where he and his fiancee would arrange performances for me, as well as take care of the boarding and transportation arrangements. “All you have to do is come,” he said, “and we’ll take care of everything else.”

Maybe my head was a little swollen from the many recording contract offers I’d received but I thought, why not? He sent me a link to his website and everything seemed to be on the level. I decided to take a leap of faith. I paid off all my outstanding bills in New York and had enough money left over to purchase a one way ticket, with $100 left over. I’d figure out the rest once I arrived, I thought.

My flight touched down in San Francisco at 11;45 PM. Mr X was waiting for me, without his fiancee. “Are you hungry,” he asked. I said I was starving and dehydrated. He drove the car to a gas station. “I’ll be right back,” he said, hopping out of the car and going into the attached convenience store. He returned a short while later, carrying a small box of crackers and a small bottle of water, handing them to me like he was presenting a gourmet meal. Next stop was a Motel 6. He pulled in front of one of the room doors.

“I paid for one night,” he informed me. We’ll sort everything out tomorrow. I’ll be back in the morning.” And, with that, he drove off into the night.

Not a very promising start, I thought as I crawled under the covers that night.

I’d gotten up with the sun and was fully dressed and ready to go by the time Mr X came back. I was out the door as soon as I heard the car pulling into the small motel parking lot, excited to find out what the day held. When I noticed a woman sitting beside him in the passenger seat, I was even more excited at the prospect of meeting the fiancee. As the car drew closer, I saw the passenger window slowly come down. His fiancee slowly looked me up and down, then she turned and said something Mr X. Whatever she said caused Mr X to keep driving past me and out of the parking lot. I never saw Mr X or his fiancee again. Obviously there was some kind of miscommunication as it seemed I was not at all what his fiancee was expecting.

So, what to do now? I had $100, which would only last for two nights if I stayed at the Motel 6. One night if I also ate breakfast and dinner. I had to think fast. I went to the nearest coffee shop that had Internet and posted on Craigslist. “Struggling artist in need of room and board,” my post read. “I don’t have money to pay but I have skills that are worth money. If you’ve been struggling to start a new business, I can help you get started in exchange for room and board.” What did I have to lose, I figured. The worst that could happen was nobody would respond.

I received two email responses. One was from a man who asked how old I was and could I send him a photo. I didn’t respond to him. The second email was from a woman who wanted to start a biodiesel shuttle van business. I emailed her back and we set up a meeting at a coffee shop for the next day. She and I hit it off immediately and I moved into her beautiful house in the mountains, overlooking the ocean. AND she used to manage bands and still had some connections. When we weren’t shuttling wedding parties up and down the mountains, she was taking me around to different music venues so that I could perform.

Where others see problems, road blocks, bad news, I see challenges to overcome. My resilience causes me to never give up without trying every avenue possible.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

There’s definitely a mission/goal driving my creative journey. Before fully committing to my musical/creative journey, I was working at a law firm in New York City, living in a luxury high rise apartment building on the upper west side. I was telling people I was singing but, after sending out my first demo and receiving thanks but no thanks letters, I became crushed by the rejection and stopped singing, although I was telling people that I was a singer.

Early one morning I had what I’ll call a “dream,” for lack of a better word. I’ll give you the short version. In this dream, I was in a past life and was a very successful business woman, on a plane on my way home to Chicago. The pilot announced there was engine trouble and he’d have to set the plane down before we reached the airport. He successfully landed the plane in an open field but as we were hurtling along on the ground waiting for the plane to come to a complete stop, I saw a train in the distance and knew that it would reach point X at the same time we did. Sure enough, the plane and train collided. The sound of the metal against metal was so real! Then everything went black and a deep voice started speaking.

“You were brought here to lead people back to the light,” the voice began, “but you, too, became seduced by the darkness. As a result, you’re not doing what you were brought here to do. It’s too late for you to get on the right path, so you have to go back and start again.”

There was a shift in the dream and I became my present self again, no longer the Chicago business woman.

“Once again,” the voice continued, “not doing what you were brought here to do. It’s not too late to get on the right path, but you’re approaching the crossroad. Once you pass that point, it’s going to be too late. What are you going to do?”

I woke up with a start, my heart pounding! What was that?! It didn’t feel like just a dream. And, according to the voice, if I didn’t get on the right path, I was going to be taken out again! I got up that morning, got dressed, went into the office, and handed in my resignation. Clearly, working to make more money for corporate America was not the reason I was brought here.

That dream/vision has shaped just about everything I’ve done from that point forward. Whenever I’m asked to work on a project, the first question I ask myself is, “Is this leading people back to the light?” If i can’t answer yes to that question, I turn down the project, no matter how much money they wave in front of me. I can’t spend money if I’m dead!

One thing that I realized is that, in order to lead people anywhere, I had to be going in that direction. So I had to figure out what “the light” means to me and then start moving toward it through my actions. I believe I’ve been doing that. Through my music and through an organization I’m forming to help heal and empower women. Since I’m still here, many years later, I can only hope that means I’m fulfilling my purpose!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: setrasundaughter